In Full Command
by LittleMonkeyDog
Summary: The A-team pulled off yet another succesful mission but right after the mission things go wrong. Face notices that something is up with Hannibal and he is forced to take over command and make some sacrificies to keep the team safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter one**

Hannibal was on the jazz again for sure. He briefed the team about his plans and although it had to be altered – as usual-they had once again succeeded in taking out the enemy. The fight hadn't been an easy one. The thugs had put up one helluva fight. Several blows had been delivered to Face, Murdock and Hannibal as well. Even B.A. had a hard time dealing with them, but finally they had managed to get the upper hand.

"I love it when a plan comes together," said Hannibal sounding slightly out of breath.

Murdock held his painful jaw.

"Oh man," he started to complain. "I'm sure I just lost a cap. Now I'll need to go to the dentists and I so don't trust them. Scared poor Billy too last time when he stepped on his tail on purpose."

"Shut up, fool. Billy ain't there so he can feel no pain."

"What do you know about how Billy feels? You're just one mean, angry mud sucker. How would you feel if anyone stepped on your tail, huh?"

"I ain't got no tail, fool."

"Okay cut if of you two, will ya! Face, are you okay?"

"Me? I'm just peachy, Colonel. This is only the third time in a row that I got hit in the eye. I'm kinda getting tired of this. You know THIS doesn't exactly match well with my wardrobe."

"I'm sure we can find you a cute nurse or something somewhere to patch you back up, kid. Now quit complaining and hand me a cigar."

Face merely rolled his eyes, but did as he was told. Hannibal smirked and eagerly grabbed the cigar. He was about to light it, when he suddenly felt lightheaded and some pain in his chest which instantly made him drop the cigar he was holding.

"Colonel? You alright?"

No response came.

"Hannibal, are you okay? Colonel? Come on, Hannibal. This isn't funny, you know."

"F-f-f-ace."

Hannibal's words were barely audible and he also sounded somewhat out of breathe. Face was seriously worried by now.

"Colonel, what's wrong with you?"

He watched his commanding officer like a hawk when he couldn't get a response out of him. Hannibal was pale looking and sweating profusely, but what worried him even more was the painful look on his face.

"Colonel, can you hear me?"

Face was dead serious now. He grew ever more worried when Hannibal still didn't answer his question.

"B.A. pull over."

"What?"

"I said pull over. That's an order."

"Face, what is it? What's going on?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two**

Meanwhile B.A. had done exactly what Face had ordered him to do. Face hurriedly unbuckled his seatbelt even before the van came to a full stop.

"It's the Colonel," he said in a tensed voice. "I think he's having a heart attack."

The van came to a full stop with screeching tires. Face jumped out and was with Hannibal in a few seconds.

"Hannibal."

His voice was all serious. Hannibal was still conscious, but sweat was pouring down his face. He didn't say a word, but one look in his ice blue eyes told Face everything he needed to know.

"Don't worry, Colonel. I've got this. Let me call Maggie to see what we need to do. Murdock, keep an eye on him for me, okay."

He was in full command mode now. He dialed Maggie's number and immediately got her on the phone. He explained to her what was going on and she asked him to check a couple of things. Face told Hannibal to only nod or shake his head to answer his questions. He was relieved when Maggie told him it seemed to be only a minor attack. She instructed Face to give Hannibal some Aspirin and to drive up to Bad Rock. But she did mention that they needed to take it slow while driving.

As soon as he put down the phone, Face went back to take care of his commanding officer. He explained to Hannibal exactly what Maggie instructed them to do and made sure the Colonel took his Aspirin. Although he couldn't really say anything, Hannibal completely trusted his second-in-command on this. He watched him as Face talked to the other team members and told them what needed to be done without alarming them.

Murdock would sit up front in the Colonel's seat with B.A. while Face would keep an eye on Hannibal at all times in the back of the van. They had just moved Hannibal to the back of the van so he could at least lie down when all of a sudden an all too familiar sound had them jumping.

"Decker! That's all we need."

"Now what do we do?"

"It's your call, Lieutenant."

"Let's get going and step on it, B.A. We'll need to lose him before we get to Bad Rock."

"But what about Hannibal, Face? I mean, didn't Maggie say we need to take it easy?"

"Yes, Murdock. I know. But we can't get caught by Decker now either. So we'll just have to risk it. I'll keep an eye on Hannibal."

They all jumped into the van and B.A. hit the gas.

Face put his hand on top of Hannibal's as he spoke softly to him.

"I'm sorry about this, Hannibal. I know it's uncomfortable for you to drive this fast, but we have no. We need to get rid of Decker somehow. I promise to get you to Maggie's as soon as we can. I'll do anything to get you there safely."

Hannibal managed a weak smile and turned his hand so he could softly squeeze Face's.

"I don't want you to worry, Colonel. Try to rest somewhat."

It turned out to be a wild and bumpy ride from there on. B.A. did his utmost best to outrun Decker and his helpers. Hannibal had indeed closed his eyes as Face told him to do and so Face was able to guide B.A. in their escape from the MP's by taking the back roads. They managed to stay ahead of Decker, but weren't able to get rid of him completely. Face tried to come up with fresh ideas as much as he possibly could, but it was as if Decker could read his mind. There was also the ever growing concern for Hannibal's safety and his promise to his commanding officer.

He decided on a final risky trick to shake off the MP's. There were some roadworks ahead of them and the road was closed for construction, but that had never stopped the team before. If Hannibal can pull this off, so can I Face thought. So B.A. managed to accelerate down the closed road with the MP's trying desperately to stay on his tail but failing miserably.

"Nice one, Face. Looks like they ain't able to follow us no more."

"Yeah well we're not there yet. Better step on it, B.A. They're working on the bridge over the river."

"You mean there ain't no bridge no more?"

"That's right."

"You're beginning to sound just like Hannibal you know that, Face."

"He must be rubbing off on me."

"We're getting there. Hang on."

B.A. hit the gas some more and the van flew neatly across the small river where the bridge used to be. There was no way the MP's would get to them now. Murdock cheered loudly.

"We did it, Face. Nice plan."

"Yeah. Great thinking, muchacho."

"Well. I do try. I'm just glad we made it. Now let's get Hannibal to Maggie's."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three**

Face concentrated once again on his wounded friend and mentor. He was resting peacefully as if he hadn't even noticed all the commotion. Maggie's words echoed in Face's head.

 _It seems like it's just a light attack. Give him some Aspirin and what he needs is plenty of rest. That should do the trick until you get here. Don't worry, Face. You're doing a great job. It will be alright._

"God, I hope so," he muttered.

B.A. continued to drive to Bad Rock, but he had slowed down once again. Murdock was talking non-stop to him and B.A. just let him. It kept his mind from worrying about Hannibal's condition and he knew that Murdock would otherwise worry too. So he just allowed the fool to jibber jabber. Face made sure Hannibal was as comfortable as possible during the trip. He just started to relax again, when all of a sudden B.A. slammed hard on the breaks.

"What the h …," Face started to say while glaring daggers at his friend sitting at the wheel.

Only then did he realize that they were surrounded by the military police. He closed his eyes and buried his head in his hands. What were they going to do now? He needed to come with an escape plan. Fast.

"Alright, Smith. You thought you were smart, but we're on to your silly games by now. We got you surrounded. There's no way you can escape me now."

"He's right, Face."

"Come on out with your hands up. You've got 5 minutes before we start shooting."

Face's mind was racing in order to come up with an escape plan, but he had to take into account that Hannibal wasn't able to do much of anything. There really was no other choice but to surrender to Decker. Face made a quick decision, opened the sliding door of the van and jumped out.

"Alright, Decker. You win," he said smiling his million dollar smile to hide his nervousness.

"Peck. Where's Smith, huh?"

"I'm sure the Colonel would have been delighted to talk to you, but I'll have to do for now."

"What have you got up your sleeve, Peck."

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I just came out to make a deal with you."

"A deal? What deal?"

"Look, Decker. Hannibal is in there, but he's had a heart attack. We've been trying to get him medical help. I'm still not sure if he'll pull through."

He tried to keep up with his tough act, but Decker could tell how much the young man was struggling. He walked up towards Face while addressing Crane.

"Let me talk to Peck alone for a minute."

Crane made sure nobody bothered them as the two of them spoke to one another.

"What's this deal you're talking about?"

Face sighed.

"I'm willing to turn myself in here and now, if you let the rest of the team go."

"Now why should I do that? You're not trying to con me, are you Peck?"

"No. I'm telling you the truth. I'll turn myself in if you let B.A. take Hannibal to the doc so she can threat him. It's the only chance he has."

Decker glared at the young Lieutenant standing in front of him. The kid seemed tired and stressed and he did appear to be telling the truth.

"I want to see for myself."

"I understand. But I need your word first. Let the rest of the team go and I'll come with you."

"Okay. It's a deal," Decker stated evenly.

Face held out both hands in front of him. Decker understood what he wanted to say and handcuffed the young man. By doing so he could sense how tense the young man was. Decker yelled at Crane to come over and he informed them of the deal he just made. Crane was ordered to let the other military police vehicles leave and he would stay behind with Decker to bring Face to the stockade.

Meanwhile Decker pushed Face towards the van.

"I want to check and see the situation for myself," he barked. "And that way you can say goodbye to your precious friends."

"Hi guys," Face said as Decker opened the sliding doors.

Decker's eyes immediately fell on Hannibal lying down at the back of the van. He looked very pale and beads of sweat were obvious on his forehead. He had his eyes closed as if he was unconscious and Decker noticed the occasional rise and fall of the man's chest.

"You were telling the truth," he said to Face.

"He ain't doin' well. Man needs help. Real bad."

"Yes, I can see that. Okay. I'll keep my end of the deal. I'll give you a couple of minutes alone."

"What deal?"

Murdock popped up from his hiding spot in the van when he was sure Decker was out of sight.

"I've turned myself in, Murdock."

"What? Why?"

"We agreed that if I turned myself in, Decker would let you guys go free. You and B.A. have to get Hannibal out of here. He needs help. You need to get him to Maggie's."

"I ain't leavin' without ya, Face."

"You'll have to, B.A. I'll be fine. Don't you guys worry about me. There will be food and fresh clothes at my disposal. What more can a man want. Anyway it's not as if they're gonna keep me there for long. I'll think of a way to get out of this mess."

"Hannibal wouldn't want you to give up your freedom for him, Face."

"I had no choice, Murdock. Okay? I had to do something to try and safe the Colonel's life. He needs help urgently. Get him out of here and get him the help he needs. Like I said. Don't worry about me. I'll be okay."

Decker started to walk back towards the van and Face made Murdock hide again.

"Where are you taking him?" Decker asked when he arrived back at the van.

"That ain't any of your business, Jack."

"It's off the record," Decker stated. "I promise I won't come after you."

"Dr. Maggie Sullivan in Bad Rock," Face stated while looking at Decker.

"What's gonna happen to Face?"

"I'm escorting Lieutenant Peck to the stockade where he will be locked up to serve his sentence."

"It's okay," Face managed to say with a small smile. "Just go."

Decker closed the sliding door and Face watched as B.A. started up the van and drove away slowly. Murdock watched in the side mirror as Decker took Face to the car and ushered him in.

"Don't worry 'bout him, fool. Let's worry 'bout Hannibal first. Get him help."

"But Face …"

"We ain't leavin' him behind, fool. We'll go get him out when Hannibal's all better again. That's a promise."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** **Sorry for the delay in publishing. The writing and re-writing of some chapters took me quite some time and I also managed to get "stuck" with the story somewhere. But I think we're getting there again! Hope you'll like the next chapters as well. Reviews are much appreciated! Thanks for those who have been doing so**

**Chapter four**

And so they went their separate ways. B.A. drove as fast as he could to Bad Rock, while Murdock watched over Hannibal like a hawk. Meanwhile, Face was taken to the stockade, had his fingerprints and his picture taken and was stripped of his belongings. He now found himself sitting down on his cod in a cold, empty cell dressed in army fatigues.

" _This isn't exactly Club Med and I'm not wearing my usual Armani, but heck … At least I don't have to scam a new place and they do serve food here too,"_ he thought.

He just hoped and prayed the team would get Hannibal to Bad Rock asap and he also hoped Hannibal would live through this. He just couldn't imagine losing his commanding officer. Suddenly, Face found himself swallowing a lump in his throat. The entire team was very close, but Hannibal was his mentor and the only one that came close enough to be some sort of father figure. He couldn't afford to lose him. Not yet anyway. Face ran his hands through his hair. Being locked up in here wasn't gonna get him the information he wanted. He could only hope Hannibal would pull through, but he wouldn't know a thing until the team got him out somehow.

It didn't take B.A. that long to get Hannibal to Maggie's. Hannibal was still out when they arrived. Maggie ran outside as soon as she heard the van pull up in front of her house. B.A. jumped out and opened the sliding door to reveal Murdock watching over Hannibal.

"Where is Temp?"

"He ain't here, littl' lady."

"Yes, I can see that. Why? I mean … He's a member of the team. You guys are so close?"

Murdock looked at her with sad eyes.

"We are, Mags. We're inseparable. But we were also chased by Decker."

"Oh no."

"Ah yes. Face took over command and he somehow managed for us to say ahead of the MP's, but after all we were caught by Decker. It's not Face's fault. I mean. He did try to get us out of there and he couldn't have known that Decker would figure things out eventually. He did get us out of this mess."

"What are you saying, Murdock? He didn't …"

"He cut a deal with Decker. He would let us go and Face would turn himself in."

"Yeah. We ain't too happy with it either."

"So he sacrificed his freedom for the sake of the team and for Hannibal's health."

Maggie looked at the pale looking Colonel who was still sleeping in the back of the van.

"Let's get him in so I can examine him and see what is going on."

Murdock and B.A. sat down at the small coffee table in Maggie's living room while Maggie was doing her examination.

"I hope Hannibal will pull through."

"Yeah, fool. You ain't the only one. He was lucky Face noticed it."

"Yeah. He was. He was, big guy."

"He ain't gonna be too happy 'bout Face turnin' himself in."

"Heck, I'm not happy with that! He had no choice. I would have done the same thing."

B.A. nodded his head.

"Still. He doesn't deserve to be in no jail."

The door opened and in walked Maggie. Murdock and B.A. immediately jumped up from the chairs they were sitting on.

"How is he?"

"His condition is stable. Face described his condition very accurately and he did indeed suffer from a minor heart attack. His blood pressure is still very low and I'll be monitoring his heart for a couple of days, but he's gonna make a full recovery. He needs lots of rest for now. I guess he was lucky that Face noticed what was going on so quickly and acted upon it. It could have been worse."

"Can we see him?"

"Not yet I'm afraid, Murdock. I gave him a little something to make him sleep some more. You can see him in the morning. He'll probably still be somewhat groggy. You guys better get some rest yourselves. Looks like you can use it too."

"I'm not so sure if I can do that, doc. All I can think about is how Face must feel now."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter five**

Decker wanted to escort Face back to the stockade, but had received word that he was to remain where he was for the moment. He didn't quite look forward to 'babysitting' the Lieutenant for a while, but knew he had no choice. He already had to make up one hell of an excuse as to why the rest of the team managed to get away. Most of the time, Decker didn't see Face. His staff members took care of all of the Lieutenant's needs. He was only notified in case of trouble, but nothing spectacular happened.

That morning Decker ran into Captain Crane while heading out to get a much needed cup of coffee. The two men saluted and Crane began to inform Decker about what seemed to be going on with their prisoner. The situation had only started recently, but still Crane felt the need to report it. Face had been a model prisoner so far. He did everything he was supposed to do and didn't cause any trouble at all.

"So? It's all good. What's your point, Captain?"

"It's not like him to act this way, sir."

"Do you think he's up to something? He can't escape on his own. No way. He knows that. He's smart enough to know that."

"I don't think he's planning his escape, Colonel. I think he's giving up."

"Giving up? It's not like Peck to ever give up."

"My point exactly, sir."

"So what makes you think that?"

"He hardly eats anything and he doesn't want to go outside whenever he's allowed to do so. He also doesn't talk. To anyone!"

Decker frowned. He knew it wasn't like the young Lieutenant at all not to talk to people. That's all he ever did. Talk. And he seemed to enjoy and love it. He also remembered how the young man had been restless during the war whenever his orders were to remain at the camp and just how many times he got sanctioned for sneaking out despite his orders. This behavior was really odd.

"Maybe he's sick. Captain, get a doctor in here to examine him. Oh and I want to be present during the examination."

"Yes, sir."

Face sat down on his cot head in his hands feeling miserable. The plate of food stood nearly untouched next to his cot. He didn't feel like eating much of anything at all. He did make sure to drink. His head pounded and he stifled a yawn. How long had it been since he was able to get some sleep? He couldn't answer that question. It seemed like forever. He let himself fall backwards on his cot and closed his eyes. There was not one minute he didn't think about Hannibal. He had no idea whether they had made it to Bad Rock at all and whether or not Hannibal was still alive. The idea drove Face crazy. Hannibal was not just his Commanding Officer, but being on the run for all these years they had all become family in one way or another. He remembered how nervous and worried he had been when he found out what was going on with him. And why hadn't he noticed anything before? The Colonel still looked to be very fit and he still tried to keep in shape, but he was also getting older. And Face had noticed how he had needed more time to recuperate after working out. Cold shivers ran down his spine just thinking about the fact that Hannibal might be gone. If only he could talk to one of his friends …

Face was pacing his small cell when Decker appeared. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't even notice anything until Decker spoke.

"Alright, Lieutenant, you're coming with me. You know the drill. Put your hands behind your back so I can cuff you."

Face made no comment. He just did what he was told. Decker walked in and cuffed him. He glanced at the plate of nearly untouched food next to Face's bed.

"What's with the food?"

"Well it isn't exactly the fine cuisine I'm used to …"

"Cut the crap. You've had army food before and you never complained about it then."

"I just wasn't hungry."

"Okay. Let's go."

"Go where?"

"You'll see. Now move it."

Decker pushed him out of his cell. As soon as they were out he followed Decker without asking anymore questions which surprised Decker even more. He quickly escorted Face over to the examination room where the doctor was already waiting for them to arrive.

"Uh. What's this?"

"The doctor is going to examine you."

"Examine me. Why?"

"You're sick."

"Sick? Me? Whatever gave you that idea?"

"You didn't touch your food."

"So? I told you. I'm not hungry."

"You haven't touched your food in days, Peck. You're not fooling me."

"Yes. Well, you do look a bit scrawny."

"What?"

"You've heard the man."

"It's these army fatigues, you know. They're just not the right size so they don't do me justice at all. And they're certainly not gonna get me on any best dressed list either."

"Quit playing around, Peck. Something is not right and we're gonna find out what. That's why we asked the good doctor to come over and check you out."

"I'm telling you, Decker. I'm not sick."

"I'll be the judge of that, young man," the doctor stated. "Now please remove your clothes and lie down over here."

"Yeah sure, doc. I will as soon as the good Colonel here leaves the room."

"Think again, Peck. I'm not falling for any of your scams or shenanigans. I'm staying right here and I'm keeping my eye on you."

"Ever heard about privacy, Decker? This is a violation of MY privacy."

"I couldn't care less about your privacy, Peck. You can file a complaint against me all you like, but I'm not going anywhere. So do what the doctor orders you to do. Right now! Strip to your shorts."

Face was starting to feel very uncomfortable, but he knew he had no choice but to obey orders. He sighed and started to unbutton the shirt of his army fatigues. Meanwhile, the doctor was busy taking out the equipment he needed to examine his patient. Decker kept a close eye on Face.

"Get a move on, will you. Or do I need to give you a hand!"

Face felt very uncomfortable with Decker watching him like a hawk while the doctor was doing his job. The doctor took his pulse and blood pressure as well as his temperature. He thoroughly examined Face but couldn't find anything wrong with him.

"Can you sit up for me, Lieutenant."

Face did as he was told shivering slightly.

"So, what's the verdict doc. What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing, Colonel Decker."

"What do you mean nothing."

"Well, I've thoroughly examined Lieutenant Peck and he's in perfect health."

"That can't be."

"My test results don't lie, Colonel."

"So then what is it."

"It might be something psychological."

"Psychological huh. Can you find out what that might be?"

"Yes, I was just getting to that part. I need to ask the Lieutenant a couple of questions."

"So do it. I'm waiting."

"Uh. If you don't mind me asking, I'd like to get dressed again. It's kinda cold you know and I don't exactly feel comfortable answering questions in my underwear."

"Alright, but make it snappy. I haven't got all day."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter six**

Face felt relieved that he was able to get dressed again. When he was done the doctor motioned for him to sit down at his desk.

"Okay Lieutenant Peck, so we established that there's no real medical indication as to why you're not eating. Can you explain to me why you haven't eaten these past couple of days?"

"Sure. The answer is plain and simple: I'm not really a fan of army food."

"And why is that?"

"Well. You see, doc, I'm used to dining at the more classy places which offer more of a refined cuisine."

"Cut it out, Peck. You're not at the Hilton. You're in jail. Deal with it!"

"I don't think that's the only reason you're not eating."

"Oh right. It's not. You see I try to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle which isn't always easy while being on the run. The food here just doesn't quite fit into that either."

"I was under the impression that the army provided healthy, balanced meals for its staff as well as its prisoners."

"They are. Don't pay attention to him, doc. He is a well-known con artist and all he's doing is trying to dodge the question."

"You've got to hand it to me. So far I managed to get away with it."

Face sat back with a smirk on his face. He so enjoyed to annoy Decker. At least it gave him something to do besides thinking about Hannibal and the team. Decker lost control, stormed up to him and grabbed Face by the shirt.

"I would wipe that smirk of your face. Lieutenant."

"Colonel! Let go of my patient. This isn't getting us anywhere, gentlemen."

Decker let go of Face but gave him another angry glare before he did that.

"Now, young man, if you want me to help you I need you to be open and honest to me."

"Why would you want to do that? Huh? You don't know the first thing about me. All you do know is that I'm a fugitive and that I'm wanted by the military police. Nobody seems to care that we didn't do anything wrong. What Decker wants to do is lock me up in jail for the next 30 years and throw away the key."

"You're a criminal, Peck. That's where you belong."

Face visibly paled and the doctor noticed that straight away.

"Ah. So this is a start. Does this sentence worry you, Lieutenant?"

"Who? Me? I'm not worried. Why would I be worried? I mean, I'll have a roof over my head for the next 30 years and food delivered to me and I wouldn't even have to do a thing. I don't even need to worry whether I'll be able to pay back my mortgage. Right?"

"But meanwhile you are deprived of your freedom. Does any of that bother you? Being locked up?"

"Well, let's say I have been here before and so I know what it feels like. Do I like it? No. I don't. What bothers me is that I can't drive around in my car, dine at the finer restaurants around town in the company of a beautiful lady, wear any of my nice designer suits or even get a decent haircut."

"Watch it, Peck. You're starting to get on my nerves and I'd be all too happy to give you a buzz cut."

"Colonel, could you please stop interfering? I'm trying to have a conversation with my patient."

"Yeah. You know his presence makes me feel very uncomfortable, doc."

"Don't get smart with me, Peck."

"Colonel, please. Look, young man, I can understand that his presence makes you feel very uncomfortable but the orders are that he is to remain here with you during your examination. I would however appreciate it, Colonel, if you would stop harassing my patient."

"Fine."

"So you were saying, Lieutenant, that you have a healthy lifestyle."

"Yes, I do. Or at least I try to. As I said before life on the run isn't always easy."

"I can imagine. So what do you mean by living a healthy lifestyle?"

"I try to keep in shape. I run a couple of miles each day and I have a light work-out schedule that is if we're not on a mission. I watch what I eat too. My commanding officer also keeps us in shape all the time."

"That's very wise, young man. But you do realize that not eating at all is not beneficial for your health."

"It's not like I don't eat."

"We have kept a record of what you ate which is barely anything, Lieutenant. You've lost weight as well and it's not like you need to lose any more weight."

"I just wasn't hungry. That's all."

"Are you worried about being locked for a long period of time?"

"Pfff. Why would it bother me?"

"I don't know. Care to explain?"

"Well it's not exactly what I had in mind, you know."

"So what did you have in mind?"

"I just wanted to serve my country, go back to college and finish my studies after being discharged and get a good job, a nice house, a cute dog, a beautiful wife and 2.4 kids. Instead I found myself and the rest of my team charged with a crime we didn't commit and sentenced to prison all to preserve international relations."

"Oh don't play the innocent with me, Peck. You, Smith and Baracus all robbed the Bank of Hanoi."

"Those were our orders. We had to knock out an enemy position. It just happened to be a bank."

"So you keep saying. I don't believe a word of it anyway."

"Well I guess it doesn't matter now anyway. With the Colonel gone we probably won't be able to prove much of anything. And besides … What's the point? There is no A-team without him anyway. It's all over."

"What happened to your Colonel?"

"He had a heart attack during our last mission. I noticed something was wrong with him at some point. I tried my best to get him to a doctor as soon as possible. I talked to her on the phone and she told me what I had to do to try and save him …"

"But it didn't work?"

"I don't know. That's when we ran into Decker and his men. I decided to turn myself in if he would let the rest of the team go. Hannibal was weak and unconscious by then. I wasn't even able to say goodbye to him."

"I take it you were close?"

"We were only a small unit. B.A. was our Sergeant and I was second-in-command to Hannibal and the team's Supply Officer. We've been through 'Nam together as a team and been on the run for 15 years. We only have each other. And Hannibal …. Hannibal was the only one that believed in me. He put me on the team or I would have ended up in jail long before. He trusted me and gave me a chance to be part of his team. I will always be grateful for that. You see, doc. I'm an orphan. My family ran out on me when I was five and I ended up growing up in an orphanage. Hannibal is the closest thing to a father I ever had."

"That's what has been bothering you all this time, isn't it Lieutenant? You don't know whether or not he made it and you blame yourself for not being able to do more for him."

Face didn't answer the question. He bowed his head and ran a hand through his hair. He never felt this alone before in his entire life. He didn't feel like he could answer the question, because the doctor was right. He had been worried about Hannibal and the rest of the team. He just didn't want Decker to see how much it actually hurt him.

"How about answering that question, Peck?"

"You know what's been bugging me, Decker. Why does the army want to lock us up so badly, huh? Why not put us on trial and convict us? That is what they really want, isn't it? Convict us and have us shot by firing squad, so you'll get rid of us permanently."

"Whatever gave you that idea, young man?"

"Isn't that what you want? Huh?"

"I've got you right where I want you and where you belong, Peck."

"Don't give me that. You don't care whether or not I'm innocent. You've got yourself convinced that somehow we planned on robbing the bank and killing Morrison. It doesn't matter whether or not we can prove our innocence. The army wants to frame us for this. So what's with all of this? Just convict me already and have me shot."

"Lieutenant, you're out of line here."

"Just admit it already. There's nothing you'd rather want. I bet you wouldn't even mind pulling the trigger yourself."

"So what? What if I would admit I'd wanted you out of the way permanently?"

"Colonel, I really don't think …"

"There you have it. Isn't it nice to get this out of your system, Decker?"

"What about you, Peck? Huh? How does this make you feel?"

"Me? I couldn't care less if you pulled the trigger. What have I got to live for anyway …"

Decker had looked the young Lieutenant straight in the eyes while he answered the question and noticed how all life seemed to have faded from those blue eyes. Only now did he notice how tensed the young man truly was and how all of the events had had their impact on him. The con man without a fear in the world turned out to be not so fearless after all. Decker looked at the doctor and he had also picked up on what was causing the problem.

Face sat on the table with his shoulders slumped and his eyes downcast. It felt as if his body had suddenly been drained from all energy.

"Well, Lieutenant, at least now we know what's going on with you. Have you been able to sleep somewhat the last couple of days?"

Face merely shook his head. He felt light headed by now.

"The lack of food and sleep has weakened your system. Roll up your sleeve for me, young man. I'm going to give you a mild sedative so you can get some much needed rest."

Face did as he was told without so much as struggling. Afterwards he was escorted back to his cell. Decker had to support his weight when he brought Face back. Neither of them said a word. As soon as they arrived at his cell, Decker helped Face lie down on his cot. He noticed how the young Lieutenant shivered and closed his eyes as soon as he was laying down. Decker wrapped a blanket over his shivering form. He watched for a moment as Face almost buried himself underneath the warm blanket. Decker stepped out for a minute in order to get another blanket and he also covered Face with the extra blanket when he returned. The young Lieutenant was asleep by now. Even in his sleep, Decker noticed how tensed Face looked and how restless he slept.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter seven**

While walking back to his office to finish his shift for the day, Decker couldn't help but get the image of the young and vulnerable Lieutenant from his mind. That young man truly looked up to his Commanding Officer. Decker sighed as he recalled the things being said that afternoon clearly indicating just how much the team members cared about one another. They were even willing to sacrifice themselves for the sake of the others. If he was being totally honest, he actually admired Hannibal and his men for their amazing skills as Special Forces. These men were the best! Besides being the best, they were also caring people who stood up for those in need. Decker wondered whether true criminals would do a thing like that … He had been chasing the team for a long time already and they had always been able to outsmart him somehow, but never once did they try to actually kill Decker or any of his men.

As soon as he arrived at his desk, he had made up his mind on what to do. He vaguely recalled the conversation he had upon capturing the team. Peck had made a deal with him. He would give up his freedom, if Decker let go of the rest of the team so they could get Hannibal some much needed help. He knew Peck mentioned the name of a certain lady doctor and as soon as her name popped back into his head he started to search for her phone number. Her assistant had told him she was currently at the hospital with one of her patients.

Decker waited patiently before he finally was able to talk to her. Since she also had no idea who he was, he started to explain who he was and also explained what was going on with Face. Maggie had heard the team talk about Decker before and knew he was after them, but she also listened carefully to what the man was telling her. He seemed to be genuinely worried about the well-being of his 'prisoner'. Maggie listened some more until she decided it would be safe to let Decker in on the situation. She explained that Hannibal had indeed suffered from a heart attack and that he had been admitted to the hospital.

"So, Peck was right. He did have a heart attack. How is he now? Did he survive?"

"Yes, he did. If Face hadn't given him first aid and noticed what was going on, we could have lost him. He's at the hospital now. We're currently monitoring his condition as he's still unconscious. "

"Oh. I see. Well, we kind of have a situation here of our own."

"Is something wrong with Face?"

"Yes. I have noticed that he barely touched his food for the last couple of days, so I asked for a doctor to examine him."

"And?"

"He's not really sick. He was just worried about Colonel Smith."

"How do you know this?"

"Well, we were finally able to drag it out of him. But it took some time. That kid is damn stubborn. He really does care a great deal about his Colonel and it started to affect his health."

"Well, how is he now?"

"He didn't just have a lack of food, but also a lack of proper sleep. He was exhausted, but couldn't sleep. The doc gave him a sedative to help him sleep. He looks pale and tired and lost most of his energy. I accompanied him back to his cell and even had to help him get there. He was shivering like crazy. I'm really worried about him."

"Face has a hard time opening up when something is bothering him. It must be serious, if it affects him like this. The team is very close. I've been dealing with two very upset men myself for the past couple of days. They're not only worried about Hannibal but also about Face being locked up in a jail cell somewhere."

"When will the Colonel regain consciousness?"

"I really don't know. I've been telling the guys to sit with him and talk to him as they are the closest thing to a family he has, but somehow I think he misses Face."

"What makes you say that?"

"Face is very important to Hannibal. He's not just a Lieutenant on his team or his second-in-command, he's more like the son he never had. Those two share a very close bond."

"Would it help the situation if I brought Lieutenant Peck to the hospital?"

"Yes. I actually think it would do them good. Both of them. Would you do that?"

"Yes. I'm willing to do just that."

"That's very kind of you, Colonel."

Decker asked Maggie not let the team in on the news and he also wouldn't tell Face what was happening. Before finally leaving the base for the night, he dropped by to see the prisoner again real quick. Face was curled up underneath both blankets on his small cot, but he was still sound asleep. Decker stood for a few minutes watching the young man sleep. He recalled the conversation he had with both Face and Maggie and decided he made the right decision.

The very next morning, Decker ordered Crane to wake up their prisoner and have him wear his army uniform instead of the fatigues he was currently wearing. Face had been confused and had asked why he would have to do such a thing, but he was given no further information. Crane brought him over to Decker's office a little bit later.

"So, did you manage to get some sleep, Lieutenant?"

"I did. What is going on?"

"You're being transferred to another facility."

"Oh great. The stockade no doubt?"

"You'll see when you get there. Let's get going, Lieutenant. I haven't got all day."

Crane handcuffed him and brought him over to the car. He had to sit in the backseat of the car. It was still very early in the morning, when Crane drove through the gates of the army facility. Nobody said a word. The after effects of the drug still made Face feel sleepy and so he decided to get some more rest. He woke up again when the car stopped. He blinked a couple of times so his eyes could adjust to the bright sunlight.

"Ah. I see you're awake."

"Where are we?"

"Give me your hands, Lieutenant."

Face was confused, but did as he was told. Decker undid his handcuffs.

"We've stopped to get some breakfast," he added.

"Breakfast?"

"Yes. You've lost way too much weight, Lieutenant. So I decided that you needed a proper breakfast for once instead of plain army food. So you and I are gonna have some breakfast at this nice cosy place over here."

"You and me …?"

"That's right. Lieutenant Crane is on leave for now, so he won't be joining us for the rest of the trip."

"What about the handcuffs …?"

"We have no need for them."

Face was still utterly confused when Decker opened up his door. He climbed out of the vehicle and noticed how Decker and Crane said their goodbyes. Decker motioned for Face to go with him to the cosy looking dining place. They sat opposite one another at a small table. Face couldn't believe what he was hearing when he was told he could get whatever he wanted. The waitress poured some coffee into their mugs, before taking their order. She smiled at Face and he smiled back at her, but his heart just wasn't into it. He was still unsure about what was going on.

"I see you're still popular amongst the ladies despite the fact that you've hardly got skin on your bones."

"I guess so."

"Are you sure you've ordered enough food?"

"Yes, I am. I never eat that much. Why the sudden concern?"

"In case you've forgotten, I was concerned about you before. I've arranged for you to see a doctor, remember?"

"Where are you taking me?"

"I can't tell you that. That's classified information."

"Right."

"Just make sure you had enough to eat, because you'll be doing the driving."

"What?"

They were interrupted in the conversation when the waitress brought them their breakfast. The food tasted delicious to Face and so he ended up finishing his plate. He felt overall better with the food and coffee in his system, but was still suspicious of what was going on. Decker paid for the food at the counter and both men once again left the establishment to get to the car. Decker handed Face the keys.

"It's nothing like that fancy sports car of yours, but it will have to do."

They both got in and Face started the car.

"Where are we heading?"

"Bad Rock."

"What? But you …"

"Let's just say you're needed there."

"Hannibal?"

"All I can and will tell you is that he's alive, Peck."

Face let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Hannibal was still alive.

"Well? What are you waiting for? I guess you know the way to Bad Rock better than I do. Let's go."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter eight**

Face drove as fast as he was allowed to do with Decker watching him like a hawk. His heart was hammering in his chest. He was relieved that Hannibal was still alive, but he had no idea what state he was in. At least the team had been able to get away and get him some help from Maggie. As soon as they entered the town, Decker told Face to stop at a local hotel first. Face started to complain because he so badly wanted to get to his Commanding Officer, but Decker explained that they would need to get out of their military uniforms and into their civilian clothes first. He didn't want to draw too much attention. He handed Face a pair of jeans and a shirt and his precious watch. Face quickly headed to the bathroom to freshen up and change. Decker changed in the room while waiting for Face.

As soon as he came out of the bathroom, the two of them headed to the local hospital. Decker announced their arrival at the desk and the nurse on duty paged Maggie. It didn't take long before she appeared in the waiting room area.

"Temp!"

Face had been sitting in a chair with his head buried in his hands anxiously waiting to hear more. He lifted his head as soon as he heard his name being called by a familiar female voice. He stood up.

"Maggie."

Maggie noticed the subtle insecurity in his voice and so she ran over to him and pulled the young Lieutenant in a warm embrace.

"I'm so happy to see you, Temp. Are you feeling okay?" she asked while she softly stroked his arm. "You look like you've lost some weight."

"I'm fine, Maggie. Really."

"No you're not. You never looked this pale in your life. Look, Temp, I know how you feel about John. Just know that you can talk to us: me, Murdock, B.A. We're all here for you."

"What about Hannibal? How is he?"

"Let's go somewhere more private and sit down to talk about it. Okay?"

Face nodded his head and the two followed Maggie. She brought them to a separate room and closed the door behind them. Face nervously swallowed the lump that seemed to be stuck in his throat.

"What's going on, Maggie? Please. Tell me. I have to know."

Maggie grabbed both of his hands and softly squeezed them.

"Is he …?"

Face couldn't get the words out.

"Let me start with the good news. He is not dead. The doctors have managed to stabilize his condition for now, but he's not responsive."

"What does that mean?"

"He's in a coma, Face. We have no idea when he'll wake up or even if he'll ever wake up again."

"What do you mean if he'll ever wake up again?"

"He was unconscious already when the guys brought him to me and I immediately notified the hospital. I did what I could until they arrived and took him with them. They managed to stabilize him, but we have no idea about the possible damage being done. Murdock and B.A. have been sitting with him and talking to him which is supposed to be good for him. But I can tell they're upset about his condition and about you being locked up in prison. I was relieved when Colonel Decker called to ask about Hannibal and I was able to tell him it would be a good idea to bring you over here to be with him. It will be good for both of you. Now I know how hard this must be on you and it's not a pretty sight to see right now, but people in a coma can hear their loved ones and pick up on their emotions. That's why it's of vital importance that he knows you're here too. He has picked up on the tension in Murdock's and B.A.'s voices even if they didn't mention how you so bravely sacrificed your freedom for the team."

Face was trying very hard to deal with the situation, but he felt as if he was losing his grip on it. Beads of sweat appeared on his pale face, his hands were shaking and he had a hard time focusing on the ongoing conversation. Maggie noticed that he was not doing well. She stood up and was by his side in an instant before he sagged into his chair.

"What's going on?"

"I'm sure it's nothing serious. It just all got a bit too much and his body is running low on energy. Do you mind running to the cafeteria, Colonel Decker, and get him a sandwich and a cup of coffee? Tell them Dr. Sullivan sent you. You can take my badge with you."

"What will you be doing?"

"I'm just going to check him over real quick to make sure he's okay."

Decker nodded his head and disappeared. Maggie focused her attention on Face. She walked over to him and pulled him in for a hug. Face didn't say a word, but closed his eyes for a moment.

"I know you're worried about John, Temp. Just don't give up on him yet. He's strong and he won't give up without a fight. We all know that. But you've been under so much stress lately dealing with this and giving yourself up to save the team. It hasn't been easy on you. Murdock and B.A. are with him at all times and I do think you being here and talking to him will do him some good as well. So he must know that he's not alone, but he has picked up the tension in their voices too probably. They are very worried about you. On top of that, he hasn't heard your voice up to now. So he must suspect that something is going on. I think finally hearing your voice will do him good. And I understand it's gonna be hard for you to see him confined to bed like this attached to all of these machines and IV lines, but I know he needs you, Face. Just as much as you need him right now. You look a mess."

"I'm fine, Maggie. Really."

"No, you're not. Stop saying you're fine. I'm a doctor, remember. You can't fool me. Now, roll up your sleeve so I can take your blood pressure."

Face did as he was told. Maggie also made him unbutton his shirt and listened to his heart.

"Okay, young man, you can button up your shirt again."

"What's the verdict?"

"It's nothing serious."

"See! I told you so."

"Face, you're stressed out and your body is weakened. How long has it been since you've eaten properly? Or slept properly? You haven't been taking care of yourself lately."

Decker returned with a plate of food at that very minute.

"How is he?"

"He's exhausted and stressed and his system desperately needs some food," Maggie answered.

"When can I see Hannibal?"

"You're not going anywhere, young man."

"What? Oh come on, Maggie."

"Listen to me, Face. Your body is in urgent need of food. So you need to finish your plate before you go anywhere. We can't have you passing out at Hannibal's side. Murdock and B.A. are with him right now."

Face nodded his head. Once again Decker noticed how vulnerable and young the Lieutenant looked right now. A sight of the young man he hadn't noticed before. Decker knew exactly how Hannibal felt about his team and especially about his second-in-command. He had seen exactly what the young man was able to pull off and how bright he truly was. In fact, Decker remembered that Hannibal was the only Colonel in the army to get Face to obey orders and Face truly looked up to his Colonel. Hannibal had guided the Lieutenant's career and had made sure he was trained as an officer even when the army staff wasn't too keen on this happening. And he had been right! Face made an excellent officer and second-in-command to the team.

"You know what. You finish your food and stay with Colonel Smith for a while," he said. "Can he stay overnight with him too?"

"Yes, I don't think that would be a problem if he gets some rest himself."

"I'm sure you'll feel better being here, right Peck?"

Face softly nodded his head.

"Good. That's settled than. I'll go back to the hotel and will come back in the morning."

"That's very generous of you, Colonel Decker," Maggie said smiling. "I think it will be good for both of them to get some time to themselves."

Maggie stayed with Face while he finished his plate of food and the two of them talked for a while. Maggie explained what had happened when Hannibal was brought to her and what she had tried to do for him and his team mates. She assured him that he got the best possible care and that all they could do now was wait. Face expressed his gratitude. He knew exactly how Hannibal felt about Maggie and he was glad to see the feelings were mutual. He opened up to Maggie and told her about what had happened and how he felt. Maggie once again hugged him.

"Hearing your voice again will do him good, Temp. I just know it will. He cares a great deal about you. I know he cares deeply about the entire team, but he does have a soft spot for you. He always felt you needed the extra support and guidance, because you were an orphan."

"He's like a father to me, Maggie. I know I can rely on him. Always. He's the closest thing I ever had to a father figure. But … what do I say to him now. I mean. I have no idea. Where do I start? What do I tell him?"

"It doesn't matter what you tell him. Just talk to him. He needs to hear your voice. You're like the son he never had, Temp. He loves you no matter what. And anyway … You always know what to say. You'll be fine. I know you will and I'll be right outside if you need me. Okay. Now do you want to talk to Murdock and B.A. before I let you sit with Hannibal?"

Face nodded his head once again. Murdock and B.A. came out of the room and Maggie made sure the nurses did their job while the guys had some time to catch up. They were all glad to see one another again. Murdock hugged his best friend as he knew just how stressed out he must be and even B.A. hugged the young Lieutenant. They explained that there had been no change in Hannibal's situation so far, but the doctor's weren't giving up on him yet. Face was glad to talk to his team mates for a while until he was finally allowed in the room with his Commanding Officer. He took a deep breath and walked in.

"Hi, Colonel," he started nervously. "I would give you a cigar right now, but I'm afraid I would be kicked out of your room if I did."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter nine**

As he had no clue what to say or where to begin he took a seat next to Hannibal's bed. He sat there in silence watching over his Commander and listening to the faint noises of the beeping machines. A million thoughts were running through his mind mixed together with excerpts of the conversation with Maggie. Face was very aware that the situation could have been way worse and his anger started to rise.

"Why didn't you tell me you weren't feeling well? Huh? Did you just assume I'd notice being second-in-command of this team? Did you think it was funny? Why do you always feel the need to test me? Suppose for one second I hadn't noticed something was up. It could very well have been that way, since I was dead tired after that mission we barely pulled off. All I really wanted to do was close my eyes and get some rest. But maybe my gut instinct told me there was something going on. Why couldn't you just come right out and say it? Don't you trust me? You'd rather die than talk to me about this …"

Face had jumped off his seat in the middle of the conversation and had started to walk around the room angrily. He hadn't noticed the change in heart rhythm on the monitor. So he was surprised to find Maggie and the doctors barging into the room and he was ordered to leave. He ended up standing in the hallway outside of the room wondering what on Earth was going on. Murdock and B.A. had gone to get some much needed rest for a while and so he was all alone. With nobody to talk to and not knowing what was going on, Face was starting to overanalyze once again. His mind was racing, his throat was dry and his heart was hammering in his chest.

"Temp."

He was startled when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and his name being called. He turned around to see Maggie standing there. His mind was still racing while he frantically tried to read the expression on her face.

"Temp. I need you to calm down."

Did she just say he needed to calm down? Why? He was calm after all. His mind was abruptly taken back to the present all of a sudden and he held a hand to his painful cheek.

"Ouch. Why …"

"Did I slap you?"

"Yes."

"You were close to hyperventilating, Temp. And I needed for you to focus on breathing normal again instead of getting all worked up over nothing."

"Nothing? How can you say that …"

"There was a change in John's heart rhythm pattern, but nothing to be alarmed about. He was probably just responding to your presence and what you were saying to him. But we had to check and make sure he was alright. That's all. This was the first time we actually noticed a change in his heart rhythm pattern. What did you say to him?"

"At first I had no clue what to tell him and then I just got mad at him for what he put us through. Why didn't he tell us something, Maggie? Why doesn't he trust me? What if I had failed him? He would have been … dead. I just … I just can't imagine not having him around."

"Temp. First of all, you're not a failure at all. You did everything you could to get him help as soon as you could and you so bravely offered up your freedom for his safety. That's not being a failure. That's taking control of the situation and leading the team and do what's best for them. When Hannibal finds out what you did for him, he's gonna be so proud of you. And I already know how proud he is of you, young man. He saw the potential in you all these years ago in 'Nam and that's why you became his second-in-command. He trusts you with his life."

"I shouldn't have gone off at him like that. I had no reason. He's very sick and fighting for his life. He doesn't need the added stress from me."

Maggie looked at him and softly caressed his cheek.

"It always surprises me that deep down inside of that brave young man there's still this insecure little orphan boy that worries too much about what people think about him. And he also worries a great deal about the people that mean the world to him. You have every right to feel the way you do. I know I would be mad at him too. So you managed to express that anger. That's good! You can't keep hiding from your true feelings. And besides you got mad, because you care about him. Trust me. He has picked up on that. It was good that you opened up to him and it's also good that he heard your voice again, because I'm pretty sure he was worried about you as well."

"Are you sure he's okay?"

"Yes, he's doing fine for now. This was the very first time we saw any kind of response which is a good sign that he might regain consciousness very soon. Let's just hope that he does. It's you I'm worried about, young man. Wouldn't it be better if you get some rest?"

"No! No. I can't leave him like this, Maggie. I just can't. I … I need to keep an eye on him."

"Alright. Alright. No need to get all worked up. You can stay with him, but I do want you to get some rest. It won't do him good if you end up being sick. You can spend the night here and I will ask one of the nurses to set up a bed for you."

Face nodded his head. The doctors had left the room once again. Face wanted to get in when he stopped all of sudden.

"What is it?"

"What do I say to him, Maggie? I … I don't really know what to say to him."

"It doesn't matter what you say, Face. Trust me. All he needs is to hear your voice."

Face merely nodded and walked back inside. He walked up to Hannibal's bed and sat down next to him. A million thoughts were running through his brain as he watched Hannibal sleeping peacefully. He was still worried sick. There was so much he wanted to tell his Colonel, but he had no clue where to start. So he just sat there staring at him in total silence, until he couldn't take it anymore.

"I'm so sorry, Hannibal, for yelling at you earlier and for getting mad at you. I shouldn't have and I'm sorry. I … I just … I worry about you, you know. I just wish you would have said something to me earlier so it wouldn't have come to this."

Face felt drained of all energy all of a sudden and grabbed Hannibal's hand.

"I'm just glad Decker gave me the opportunity to spend at least a little bit of time with you."

Maggie had been watching the two of them and immediately noticed that Face wasn't doing too well. She quickly went into the room and witnessed as Hannibal softly squeezed Face's hand.

"Maggie, he .. Did you …"

"Yes, Temp, I saw it. He squeezed your hand."

"That's a good sign? Isn't it?"

"Yes, it usually is. Now don't get all worked up about this. We can't push these things. He'll wake up whenever he's ready and then we can assess what is going on. You need to calm down, young man, and most of all you need to get some rest."

"No. No, I'm not leaving him. Not right now. Maggie, I can't. I have to be here when he wakes up."

"I understand that, Temp, but you're no good to him when you're out yourself. Your body is drained of all energy due to mental and physical exhaustion. You need to rest. Tell you what. I'll let you spend the night here in Hannibal's room if you agree to let me give you a shot with something to help you sleep. It's the only way your body will recuperate."

" . Do it."

Maggie stepped out of the room to get what she needed. She ordered Face to get ready for bed and handed him the bag she got from Decker. When she returned a couple of minutes later, she found him sitting on the bed cross-legged wearing sweat pants and a t-shirt. She softly smiled at him while disinfecting his arm and began to prepare the needle. Face took a deep breathe.

"Don't worry," she said reassuringly. "You won't feel a thing. I promise. When this thing starts working, you just might start to feel somewhat dizzy. It's a normal side effect. I'll be right here with you. Okay?"

Face nodded his head. Maggie gently pierced his skin with the needle while keeping an eye on him. The dizziness came quickly and Maggie gently eased Face to lie down in the small hospital bed. He closed his eyes straight away and she softly ran a hand through his hair. She waited patiently until she was sure he was sound asleep. Maggie smiled and tucked him in. Now I understand why John cares so much about you, she thought as she tiptoed out of the room.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter ten**

Maggie decided to keep an eye on both men that night and was relieved to see that both of them were resting peacefully. She also checked their parameters at regular intervals especially Hannibal's and was happy to see that his condition kept on improving. She also realized Decker would be back the very next day and she hoped he would at least let Face stay with Hannibal and the team for a bit longer.

"I really wish you would wake up, John," she whispered. "Not just for me, but for the sake of the boys and especially Temp. He's done a wonderful job keeping you and the rest of the team safe. You should be proud of him. Now you rest some more tonight and I hope you'll be ready to wake up again in the morning."

She softly pressed her lips to his forehead and tiptoed out of the room once again.

Face woke up the very next morning wondering where he was. When he opened his eyes and sat up in bed, he realized he had spent the night at the hospital with Hannibal. He very nearly jumped out of the small hospital bed and quickly made his way over to his Colonel. The noises in the hospital were beginning to pick up and they also woke up Hannibal from his slumber. With his eyes still firmly shut, he tried to find out where he was and what had happened. That's when he noticed that someone was holding onto his hand. He blinked a couple of times before he finally managed to open up his eyes and saw that Face was sitting by his side.

"Hiya, kid," he croaked out trying to smile.

"Colonel? You're awake!"

"What's going on? What happened?" Hannibal managed to say very slowly.

"What happened? Hannibal, you had a heart attack. That's what happened! You could have been dead."

Hannibal vaguely started to recall that he didn't feel well while they were driving in the van. Still being on the jazz after the mission, he didn't want his men to know what was going on and so he kept vital info from them. He needed to get the team to safety first. But while he was thinking, he kept watching his young Lieutenant and couldn't help but notice that Face wasn't looking too good either.

"I had to … get us … out of there ..."

"You really shouldn't talk, Hannibal. Let me get Maggie in here real quick."

He stood up and made his way over to the door.

"Kid …"

Face turned around to look at his Colonel.

"Thanks."

Face merely smiled, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. Hannibal could tell something was going on as he watched his second-in-command leave the room. He came back a couple of minutes later with Maggie and left the room again briefly so Maggie could do her job.

"Maggie."

"Hi John. Glad to finally see you awake again. How are you feeling?"

"Okay I guess. Just sleepy."

"That's only normal with the medication you're on."

"Face said … it was … a heart attack."

"He's right. It was. And you're lucky that he realized straight away that something was going on with you and took action. It could have been far worse, John. This was just a minor attack, so you were lucky this time."

"Luck is always on my side."

"This is no joke, John. I'm being serious! You were lucky this time. You might not be next time around. You should thank Face. You owe him your life."

"I know. And I am."

"You're going to make some changes too. Reduce stress, get regular check-ups, eat healthier and stop smoking."

"You've got to be joking."

"I'm not. I care about you, John. A whole lot! So do the guys. We'd like to have you with us as long as possible. These changes are of vital importance to your health and I'm willing to help you if you're willing to try. I'm sure the guys are willing to adapt as well."

"Yeah, I know Face will. He's into all of this healthy stuff already. What's up with him anyway?"

"What do you mean what's up with him?"

"Ah now don't play stupid with me, Mags. I can tell something is wrong with him. I know that kid and I also know he's not gonna tell me what's going on. He's been trying to con me, but I can see right through him. And right now he looks a mess."

"What did you expect, John. He has been seriously worried about you."

"There's more to the story. What is going on?"

"He's been under a lot of stress and hasn't taken care of himself that well in the process. He hasn't been eating or sleeping much for a while. I'm keeping my eye on him."

"Don't keep these things from me, Maggie. I don't like it when people do that. And you of all people know what that kid means to me. Tell me."

"Do you remember what happened right after you ended the last case?"

"I don't remember that much."

"Face noticed that something was seriously wrong with you and he decided you needed immediate medical treatment. So he took over command and ordered B.A. to get you safely to me. Unfortunately, Decker decided to start chasing you at that time. Face had a clever plan and it worked for a while up until a certain point when Decker caught up. He knew he had no choice but to do the one and only thing to keep the team safe."

"Don't tell me he …"

"He made a deal with Decker. He gave up his freedom and in return he asked Decker to let B.A. take you to me. He never even knew Murdock was in the van. So basically, John, Face is a military prisoner. He's facing 30 years in prison. He had no clue what was going on with you and that's why he refused to eat and wasn't able to sleep for days. Decker thought he was sick and had a doctor do a physical. They found out what was going on and so Decker was kind enough to bring him here so he could spend some time with you. I don't know how long he'll let him stay here with you though. I think he'll be back here today to take Face back to prison."

"I can't believe he did that."

"John, he had no other choice. Believe me. He wanted to keep you guys safe and out of prison."

"We can't let that happen, Mags. I won't let Decker take him back to prison."

"What can we do?"

"I can pretend to still be out if you can convince the other doctors and nurses to play along. Decker might be the obnoxious type, but he still has a heart."

"What if that isn't enough? Their might be some sort of pressure from the authorities."

"We need to get the kid involved in this. My situation could get worse, right?"

"Not by the looks of it."

"You know that and the medical staff knows that and so will the team, but Decker doesn't need to know. Suppose I get a second heart attack. Face is a con artist. I'm sure he'll be able to pull something off that will make Decker believe this is serious business."

"Will this work, you think?"

"It has to, Maggie. I can't have Decker send Face to prison. That just can't happen. He is part of the team."

"And I'm sure it will, John. But you do realize that you'll need to have a talk with Temp when this is all over."

"I know, Maggie. And I will."

"Okay. I'll leave the two of you alone so you can let him in on your plan. Meanwhile, I'll talk to the hospital staff."

"Thanks, Mags. I owe you."

"You certainly do!"

Maggie stepped out of the hospital room, briefly talked to Face and told him he could get in.

"Hi, Colonel. Everything alright?"

"Sit down for a minute, kid."

"Why? Is something wrong? Hannibal …"

"Would you just stop talking for like two minutes. I'm doing fine, kid. Now you want to tell me about that stunt you pulled?"

"What stunt."

"Don't play innocent with me, Lieutenant."

"Okay. Fine. I had a plan to get away from Decker and the others, but it backfired on me. Somehow Decker figured out a way to get to us and I had no choice but to make a deal with him."

"Some deal that was. Offering up your freedom? What were you thinking?"

"I had no choice. If I wanted to keep you and the team safe, I had to surrender."

"You just don't surrender to Decker, kid."

"What was I supposed to do huh, Hannibal? I came up with a plan and it worked at first. The one thing that kept me going was to get you some medical help and quick. So when Decker caught up with us, it didn't exactly leave me with much of a choice. I didn't want to endanger the team and I kept Murdock out of sight as well, but this was the only solution I could come up with at the time."

"But you did endanger the team."

"What? What are you talking about, Hannibal?"

"You endangered yourself. Lieutenant, you are a valuable member of this unit and an excellent second-in-command. I can't have you thrown in jail for the rest of your life because of me, kid."

"Oh don't worry about me, Colonel. I'll probably get out a lot sooner due to good behavior."

"Don't try to con me. Look. You did the right thing, kid. Trust me. But now it's time to get you out of this mess."

"Get me out of this mess? How?"

"Face, there's no way I'm gonna let Decker lock you up. I've got a plan and that involves you being in full command."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter ten**

Maggie decided to keep an eye on both men that night and was relieved to see that both of them were resting peacefully. She also checked their parameters at regular intervals especially Hannibal's and was happy to see that his condition kept on improving. She also realized Decker would be back the very next day and she hoped he would at least let Face stay with Hannibal and the team for a bit longer.

"I really wish you would wake up, John," she whispered. "Not just for me, but for the sake of the boys and especially Temp. He's done a wonderful job keeping you and the rest of the team safe. You should be proud of him. Now you rest some more tonight and I hope you'll be ready to wake up again in the morning."

She softly pressed her lips to his forehead and tiptoed out of the room once again.

Face woke up the very next morning wondering where he was. When he opened his eyes and sat up in bed, he realized he had spent the night at the hospital with Hannibal. He very nearly jumped out of the small hospital bed and quickly made his way over to his Colonel. The noises in the hospital were beginning to pick up and they also woke up Hannibal from his slumber. With his eyes still firmly shut, he tried to find out where he was and what had happened. That's when he noticed that someone was holding onto his hand. He blinked a couple of times before he finally managed to open up his eyes and saw that Face was sitting by his side.

"Hiya, kid," he croaked out trying to smile.

"Colonel? You're awake!"

"What's going on? What happened?" Hannibal managed to say very slowly.

"What happened? Hannibal, you had a heart attack. That's what happened! You could have been dead."

Hannibal vaguely started to recall that he didn't feel well while they were driving in the van. Still being on the jazz after the mission, he didn't want his men to know what was going on and so he kept vital info from them. He needed to get the team to safety first. But while he was thinking, he kept watching his young Lieutenant and couldn't help but notice that Face wasn't looking too good either.

"I had to … get us … out of there ..."

"You really shouldn't talk, Hannibal. Let me get Maggie in here real quick."

He stood up and made his way over to the door.

"Kid …"

Face turned around to look at his Colonel.

"Thanks."

Face merely smiled, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. Hannibal could tell something was going on as he watched his second-in-command leave the room. He came back a couple of minutes later with Maggie and left the room again briefly so Maggie could do her job.

"Maggie."

"Hi John. Glad to finally see you awake again. How are you feeling?"

"Okay I guess. Just sleepy."

"That's only normal with the medication you're on."

"Face said … it was … a heart attack."

"He's right. It was. And you're lucky that he realized straight away that something was going on with you and took action. It could have been far worse, John. This was just a minor attack, so you were lucky this time."

"Luck is always on my side."

"This is no joke, John. I'm being serious! You were lucky this time. You might not be next time around. You should thank Face. You owe him your life."

"I know. And I am."

"You're going to make some changes too. Reduce stress, get regular check-ups, eat healthier and stop smoking."

"You've got to be joking."

"I'm not. I care about you, John. A whole lot! So do the guys. We'd like to have you with us as long as possible. These changes are of vital importance to your health and I'm willing to help you if you're willing to try. I'm sure the guys are willing to adapt as well."

"Yeah, I know Face will. He's into all of this healthy stuff already. What's up with him anyway?"

"What do you mean what's up with him?"

"Ah now don't play stupid with me, Mags. I can tell something is wrong with him. I know that kid and I also know he's not gonna tell me what's going on. He's been trying to con me, but I can see right through him. And right now he looks a mess."

"What did you expect, John. He has been seriously worried about you."

"There's more to the story. What is going on?"

"He's been under a lot of stress and hasn't taken care of himself that well in the process. He hasn't been eating or sleeping much for a while. I'm keeping my eye on him."

"Don't keep these things from me, Maggie. I don't like it when people do that. And you of all people know what that kid means to me. Tell me."

"Do you remember what happened right after you ended the last case?"

"I don't remember that much."

"Face noticed that something was seriously wrong with you and he decided you needed immediate medical treatment. So he took over command and ordered B.A. to get you safely to me. Unfortunately, Decker decided to start chasing you at that time. Face had a clever plan and it worked for a while up until a certain point when Decker caught up. He knew he had no choice but to do the one and only thing to keep the team safe."

"Don't tell me he …"

"He made a deal with Decker. He gave up his freedom and in return he asked Decker to let B.A. take you to me. He never even knew Murdock was in the van. So basically, John, Face is a military prisoner. He's facing 30 years in prison. He had no clue what was going on with you and that's why he refused to eat and wasn't able to sleep for days. Decker thought he was sick and had a doctor do a physical. They found out what was going on and so Decker was kind enough to bring him here so he could spend some time with you. I don't know how long he'll let him stay here with you though. I think he'll be back here today to take Face back to prison."

"I can't believe he did that."

"John, he had no other choice. Believe me. He wanted to keep you guys safe and out of prison."

"We can't let that happen, Mags. I won't let Decker take him back to prison."

"What can we do?"

"I can pretend to still be out if you can convince the other doctors and nurses to play along. Decker might be the obnoxious type, but he still has a heart."

"What if that isn't enough? Their might be some sort of pressure from the authorities."

"We need to get the kid involved in this. My situation could get worse, right?"

"Not by the looks of it."

"You know that and the medical staff knows that and so will the team, but Decker doesn't need to know. Suppose I get a second heart attack. Face is a con artist. I'm sure he'll be able to pull something off that will make Decker believe this is serious business."

"Will this work, you think?"

"It has to, Maggie. I can't have Decker send Face to prison. That just can't happen. He is part of the team."

"And I'm sure it will, John. But you do realize that you'll need to have a talk with Temp when this is all over."

"I know, Maggie. And I will."

"Okay. I'll leave the two of you alone so you can let him in on your plan. Meanwhile, I'll talk to the hospital staff."

"Thanks, Mags. I owe you."

"You certainly do!"

Maggie stepped out of the hospital room, briefly talked to Face and told him he could get in.

"Hi, Colonel. Everything alright?"

"Sit down for a minute, kid."

"Why? Is something wrong? Hannibal …"

"Would you just stop talking for like two minutes. I'm doing fine, kid. Now you want to tell me about that stunt you pulled?"

"What stunt."

"Don't play innocent with me, Lieutenant."

"Okay. Fine. I had a plan to get away from Decker and the others, but it backfired on me. Somehow Decker figured out a way to get to us and I had no choice but to make a deal with him."

"Some deal that was. Offering up your freedom? What were you thinking?"

"I had no choice. If I wanted to keep you and the team safe, I had to surrender."

"You just don't surrender to Decker, kid."

"What was I supposed to do huh, Hannibal? I came up with a plan and it worked at first. The one thing that kept me going was to get you some medical help and quick. So when Decker caught up with us, it didn't exactly leave me with much of a choice. I didn't want to endanger the team and I kept Murdock out of sight as well, but this was the only solution I could come up with at the time."

"But you did endanger the team."

"What? What are you talking about, Hannibal?"

"You endangered yourself. Lieutenant, you are a valuable member of this unit and an excellent second-in-command. I can't have you thrown in jail for the rest of your life because of me, kid."

"Oh don't worry about me, Colonel. I'll probably get out a lot sooner due to good behavior."

"Don't try to con me. Look. You did the right thing, kid. Trust me. But now it's time to get you out of this mess."

"Get me out of this mess? How?"

"Face, there's no way I'm gonna let Decker lock you up. I've got a plan and that involves you being in full command."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter twelve**

Maggie made sure she was able to distract Decker enough with the help of B.A. so he wouldn't get suspicious of what was going on in the room.

"Murdock, would you stop it. I hate being fed especially since I'm quite capable of doing it all by myself."

"Well you could have fooled me, muchacho."

Face stubbornly crossed his arms and turned his head away when Murdock held up the slice of toast so he could take another bite.

"Oh we're gonna play that game, are we," Murdock said out loud in an obnoxious sounding old lady voice.

Maggie, B.A. and Decker were startled by the sound of the shrill voice and peeked through the window to see what was happening. Nurse Reynolds was holding up a spoon of soup for her patient to eat.

"Here's the airplane," she croaked. "It is running out of fuel and needs to come in fast. Open up the hangar door or we're gonna go down and crash."

Maggie and B.A. nearly burst out laughing at the scene, but Face still stubbornly refused to open his mouth. Nurse Reynolds deliberately spilled the content of the spoon on Face's shirt.

"Hey, cut it out will ya. This soup is still hot and on top of that you're ruining my shirt."

He pushed the spoon away with his hand and Nurse Reynolds clumsily ended up spilling the entire content of the bowl on his shirt.

"Oh this is just great!"

"Well it's all your fault, young man," Nurse Reynolds croaked once more. "If you had opened up like a good boy, this wouldn't have happened. Now you need a change of clothes."

"I do not. All I need is a clean shirt."

"I better get in there," Maggie said still smiling.

She pretended not to know what was going on and listened to Face complaining about how Nurse Reynolds handled the situation.

"Let's get you out of that wet shirt and I'll get you a nice and clean white t-shirt."

She stood up, stepped out of the room and came back in a couple of minutes later with a clean white t-shirt. She helped Face to remove his wet shirt and checked him over real quick to see whether or not the soup had burned his skin.

"Tell me something. Why do you still refuse to eat?"

"I don't need to be fed. I can do it all by myself."

"Temp, the only reason you're being fed is so we can monitor the amount of food that's in your system. I can't say that I trust you at the moment. That's why Nurse Reynolds offered to assist you. You really do need to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

"If you refuse to eat at all, I have no choice but to force feed you."

"What?"

Maggie grabbed her medical bag and started to look for her equipment.

"Nurse Reynolds, can you hold his arm still for me?"

"Sure can, doctor."

"Uh. Wait a second will ya, Maggie. This isn't really necessary, is it? I mean. Can't we make some sort of a deal here?"

Maggie already started to disinfect his arm.

"It is of vital importance to get food into your system as soon as possible."

"All right. Okay. Fine. I'll let Nurse Reynolds feed me."

Maggie waited to make sure Face actually did what he said he would do before she left the room to join the others again. She explained to B.A. and Decker that Face would be alright again after he had eaten and gotten some rest. She assured both men she would keep her eye on him. As he could no longer do much of anything, Decker decided to leave again. Before he left he told Maggie that he would be back the very next morning.

Maggie and B.A. waited for a bit until they were sure Decker was gone before they re-entered Hannibal's room. Nurse Reynolds/Murdock was feeding Face and the latter still wasn't too happy about that.

"The coast is clear now, John."

Hannibal opened his eyes and both B.A. and Murdock gathered around his hospital bed to join Maggie.

"Nice outfit, Captain."

"Thanks, Colonel. It fits me like a glove and makes me feel very pretty," Murdock joked in a squeaky voice. "And anyway, looking like this I can keep an eye on that handsome young Lieutenant of yours that needs to be fed every now and then."

"Fed? What are you saying, Murdock."

"Yeah, fool. Just tell Hannibal what happened."

"Face isn't doing too well, Colonel."

"What do you mean? Where is he?"

"It's nothing too bad, John. He's in bed right here resting. Temp suffered from low blood sugar levels."

"That's why Nurse Reynolds swept in and fed him."

"Ain't never seen Face act like this before, Hannibal. He ain't takin' this too well."

"He's still worried sick about you, John."

Hannibal merely smiled.

"What you're smilin' for, Hannibal. We just told you he ain't doin' well."

"Well, I just might have a solution to that problem. I've got a plan."

"At least you ain't sick no more. You's on the jazz again."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter thirteen**

After a couple of hours, Face finally woke up again.

"Looks like someone's beauty sleep is finally over," Murdock joked.

"Very funny."

Face got out of bed and made his way over to Hannibal's bed to re-join his team.

"How are you feeling, kid?"

"I should ask you that same question."

"Yeah. Well, I asked you first."

"I'm okay. Guess I needed the extra rest. What about you?"

"I'm getting better, but I haven't regained my strength back completely. And with all that stuff I'm on I can't seem to be thinking all too clearly, so I'm gonna need you to take over command and escape from Decker, Lieutenant."

"Me? But Hannibal …"

"Face, you're second-in-command of this team. You've gotten us out of trouble before in 'Nam. You're damn good, kid. You can pull this off. I trust you. So does the team."

"Okay. I'll take over command."

"Good. We're listening, kid. What's your plan?"

Face explained what he had in mind and his team members listened intently to his plan. Everyone knew exactly what to do and they were ready. Now all they had to do was wait for Decker to return …

And he did return the next morning. As per usual he went over to the desk to ask the nurses and doctors about Hannibal's progress and once again he was informed that there had been no change in his condition whatsoever. B.A. had left the hospital again to get some rest as well and Face had stayed with Hannibal all night. Decker went over to the room and peered inside to check on his prisoner. He also noticed that the weird old nurse was nowhere to be seen.

"Checking on your prisoner, Colonel Decker?"

"Yes, I am Doctor Sullivan. How is he doing?"

"He's been asleep most of the day and ate when he was supposed to eat. So I'd say we're making some progress. I wish I could say the same thing about John."

"So, there's still no change?"

"No. Temp keeps talking to him, but he doesn't seem to react at all. We keep trying though. I think it's good for John that he's with him."

"I can't leave him here forever. I need to get him to the stockade. I was able to give him a couple more days with his Commanding Officer and Sergeant Baracus, but by tomorrow I have to take him back to prison."

"Can't you leave him here for a couple more days? At least until the end of the week? It will do them both good."

"I'm sorry, Doctor Sullivan, but that is out of the question. He's got until tomorrow to say his goodbyes and that's it!"

Maggie excused herself informing Decker that she had to check up on her patient's vitals and also check on Face. She swiftly went into the room to check Hannibal's vitals and meanwhile she let Face know that he only had today to set his plan into motion.

Decker decided to hang around the hospital until noon so he could inform his prisoner that his time was up and he would be taken to the stockade the very next day. He walked over to the cafeteria and decided to grab a cup of coffee. All of a sudden he was startled by real loud noises that seemed to come from the hallway. Decker got up straight away to check what was going on. Nurses were running down the hallway with all kinds of equipment. Decker quickly made his way over to Hannibal's room and when he was almost there he noticed people running anxiously in and out of the room.

He ran up to the window to see what was going on and noticed that Face was standing at the foot of Hannibal's bed looking very worried while doctors were busy attending to his Colonel. Monitors were beeping like crazy. He grabbed Maggie's arm as she passed him on the way into Hannibal's room.

"What is going on here?"

"John is having a second heart attack. This one is far worse than the previous one. We're doing everything we possibly can to save his life. So please let me get in there and do my job."

Decker watched as the medical team worked on Hannibal and also kept a close eye on the young and pale Lieutenant that was still in the room with them. A short while later B.A. joined Decker. The sergeant didn't say a word and underneath the angry features Decker noticed that he too was worried about his Commanding Officer and his friend. The monitors kept beeping and the doctors kept trying everything they possibly could and it all seemed to take forever. Decker was getting more and more nervous by the minute. All of a sudden one of the monitors started to beep super loud. The doctors worked even more frantically on their patient for a while, but the monitor wouldn't stop beeping. A short while later the doctors stopped working and one of the nurses pushed a button to stop the monitor from beeping. Decker noticed that it was the heart monitor that kept beeping and it now indicated a flat line.

Not a word was being said. Decker watched B.A. clench his fists and keep his eye on his young team mate who was still in the room with Hannibal.

"What are you doing? You can't stop? No! You have to keep going."

Decker could hear Face talking to the medical staff.

"It's no use I'm afraid, Mr. Peck. We've lost him. He's dead," one of the doctors informed him.

"No! This can't be true. He can't be gone. Hannibal is in great shape. He has to pull through. Just try. Please. Just try."

"Mr. Peck, he flat lined minutes ago. There is nothing we can do for him. I'm very sorry for your loss."

"No. He can't be … It's just not possible."

Face paled visibly and Decker noticed how Maggie rushed over to him. Without uttering a single word she pulled the upset young man into a warm embrace.

Decker watched them and also glanced at B.A. from the corner of his eye. B.A. still kept a close eye on his team mate.

"Oh Hannibal," he muttered. "Why didn't you say anythin' to us, man. This ain't good. What 'bout Face? He ain't gonna do to well with this."

They watched in silence as the medical team turned off all of the equipment and filled in their documents and left the room. Maggie was still holding the young Lieutenant.

"Come on, Temp," she softly said. "Let's get you out of here."

"No."

His voice sounded so unlike the one of the usually confident conman that he was.

"I think it's better for you if we get you out of here."

"No. I can't leave him like this. He's my Commanding Officer. I have to stay with him."

"Face, there's nothing you can do for him. John is gone. You shouldn't torture yourself like this."

"This is all my fault. I should have gotten him help sooner. I should have … I should have seen that he wasn't doing too well."

"How? Face, he hid how he was feeling from you. From all of you! There's no way you could have known. And you've gotten him help as quick as you could. Don't go blaming yourself for his death. It's not your fault."

Decker watched as B.A. stormed into the room.

"Don't you say that, fool. You ain't got nothin' to do with Hannibal dyin'. It happened. You've done your best."

"I can't leave him. I don't want to."

"Face …"

"Maggie, just leave him be. He ain't gonna give up. Fool's stubborn. Let him stay with Hannibal for a bit. He'll be alright."

Maggie and B.A. both left the room and rejoined Decker at the window of Hannibal's hospital room. They all watched in silence as the young Lieutenant grabbed a chair to sit next to Hannibal and held his hand. It looked like he was talking to Hannibal as well.

"He isn't taking this very well," Maggie said breaking the silence.

"No. He ain't doin' okay. Hannibal is like a father to him. He ain't got no one but us. Need to keep an eye on him."

"I'm really worried about him. He could do without the added stress."

"So what do you suggest we do here, doc?"

"Well, Colonel Decker, I'd say let him stay so he can say goodbye to John properly and also make sure he can attend his funeral. He needs the closure. I'd also like to keep him here under observation for a couple of days just to be safe. But right now I need to administer a mild sedative to help him calm down."

"Yeah. Sure thing, doc."

Maggie disappeared and re-appeared a little while later in Hannibal's room holding a cup. Decker watched as she put a gentle hand on Face's shoulder and spoke to him. Face nodded his head and accepted the offered cup an drank it.

"Good. Fool ain't puttin' up a fight."

B.A. and Decker watched as Maggie softly hugged the young Lieutenant before she quietly left the room.

"How is he?"

"He's still in denial. He refuses to believe that Hannibal is gone. I expected this would happen. Glad I was at least able to convince him to take the sedative, but there's no way I could get him to leave the room."

"How much longer will he be able to stay?"

"It won't be too much longer before the nurses will be here to wash the body and afterwards they will take John's body to the morgue. I think it will be best for him to stay that long. I'm also really worried how he will react when Hannibal's body will be taken away.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** **Thanks once again for all those who are reading and/or reviewing this story. So sorry for the delay! Life has been super busy lately and hasn't left me with much time or energy to write. I do hope you'll like this chapter. Reviews are much appreciated**

 **Chapter fourteen**

A little while later, a couple of nurses walked into the room ready to wash the deceased's body. They tried to get Face to leave the room, but were unsuccessful. He simply refused to leave Hannibal's side. Decker suddenly recognized the odd looking Nurse Reynolds amongst the group of nurses. She was very nearly dragging the upset Lieutenant from the room by his arm.

"I'd better go in there to intervene," Maggie said.

She quickly made her way over and literally dragged both parties apart.

"He can't be in here," Nurse Reynold's yelled in a croaked voice. "It's against hospital rules."

"I know that," Maggie answered, "but we're making an exception here in this case. Templeton needs to be here. He has to stay as long as he possibly can with the deceased for his mental well-being."

Decker watched Face as the young Lieutenant once again focused on his CO. Maggie walked over to him and gently put her hand on his shoulder.

"Temp," she started softly. "The nurses are here to wash Hannibal's body now. Okay? You can stay with him for a bit longer, but promise me that you let them do their job."

Face merely nodded his head not once looking away from Hannibal. Maggie left the room again and joined B.A. and Decker outside of the room. They all watched in silence as the nurses did their job.

"Mr. Peck, you're going to have to let go of Mr. Smith now I'm afraid," one of the nurses said.

"Why?"

"His body will be taken to the morgue after we've done washing him. It's procedure."

"No. You can't. I'm telling you. He's not dead."

"Don't be a fool, young man. This man's heart stopped which means he's dead. You just need to accept it. He's not coming back," said Nurse Reynolds pulling Face from his chair.

Face struggled with all of his might against her as she literally tried dragging him out of the room. At this time Maggie, B.A. and Decker decided to intervene.

"He's got to go. Now!" Nurse Reynolds yelled.

"No, I'm not leaving my Commander."

"Temp," came Maggie's soothing voice, "you need to listen to me now, okay. I want you to calm down."

But she didn't really get through to him.

"Come on, Face. Ain't nothin' much you can do littl' brothe'. Let's get you out!"

"No! I'm not going anywhere!" Face stubbornly answered.

"I know you's hurtin', but this ain't good for you man."

Face shook his head not once looking at B.A. He also kept on holding on to Hannibal's hand.

"Temp, I know how upset and hurt you are. Believe me, I do. But staying here will only make things worse. I know how hard this is on you, but you have to let go."

"Lieutenant. You're way out of line here. Leave the room immediately. That's an order!" Decker barked.

But even Decker's military voice didn't get through to him. Everyone kept on trying to somehow find a way to get through to him, but every attempt just seemed to fail. Suddenly, the door opened and a coffin was being brought in.

"Hello. Sorry to disturb you," the guy bringing in the coffin said breaking the silence. "We're from the morgue. We're here to pick up the body of a Colonel John Smith."

"No, you can't take him away. He's not dead. How many times do I need to keep telling you this?"

The confused guy looked at Maggie and she explained very quickly what was going on and also asked the man to wait outside for a bit until they had the situation under control. The whole thing was starting to get on Decker's nerves.

"Look, Peck," he said pulling the young Lieutenant up from his chair by his shirt. "It's about time someone gave it to you straight. Hannibal Smith is dead. He's gone. Nothing you or anyone else for that matter can do about it. You just have to accept it and move on."

Face's anger started to rise and he launched himself onto Decker. The two of them fought for a little while until the click of a gun could clearly be heard. Decker let go of Face and turned around only to see three guns pointing at him.

"What the hell is this?" He asked angrily. "And you … You're supposed to be dead," he went on pointing at Hannibal.

"Well, what can I say. I guess I'm just an extremely lucky fellow with the lives of a cat," Hannibal answered smiling.

"How did you get your hands on these guns?"

"Ah well," Face stated smiling his million dollar smile. "Coffins do come in very handy at times like this."

"You're not gonna get away with this, Smith. Don't even think for one minute that you can get out of this hospital. Your plan won't work."

"I hate to disappoint you, Decker. You know how much I love it when a plan of mine comes together, but this is not my plan. I can't take credit for it. This one is on Face and it looks like a solid plan to me since we've got you outnumbered already."

"So this is what I get for giving you the opportunity to come to the hospital," Decker spat angrily.

"I want you to know that I really do appreciate the chance you gave me to spend time with Hannibal. But you know as well as I do that I don't do too well with being confined in small spaces the size of coffee cups. Also the food and the wardrobe are a bit beneath my standards."

"So all of this was just a set-up: Smith's heart attack, your health condition, …"

"No. None of that was a scam. I can promise you that."

"You're not getting out of here alive."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that, Decker. See. We're planning on giving you a little ride."

"You're planning to get into a military base unseen? That's the most ridiculous and stupid plan I've ever heard, Peck."

"Ridiculous and stupid, huh. I wouldn't exactly say that. I think my plan is pure genius. You see, we're not driving the van to …uh … drop you of. We'll be delivering you in style."

"In style? What's that supposed to mean? You're taking me in that flashy inconspicuous car of yours?"

"Oh no. I'm afraid the 'Vette is off limits. We'll be transporting you back to base in a hearse."

"A hearse?"

"Yeah. You got that one right! But don't worry. You'll travel very comfortably inside our Heaven Rider n° 4. You see, we made sure there's an extra pillow in there and a fluffy upholstery. I just hope you're not claustrophobic."

"What? You've got to be kidding me, Peck. There's no way you're gonna get me into that … that thing."

"Sure is, Jack. He ain't kiddin'. Man is dead serious. Get in!"

"You're so gonna regret this, Peck. I swear. I'll get you for this. You mark my words."

"I'm sorry, Decker. I truly am. But I have no other choice. Believe me if there was another way, I'd go for that but there just isn't. Look on the bright side. You'll be able to nap during office hours without anyone complaining about it. Besides, the trip won't take that long."

B.A. ushered Decker to get a move on by poking him with his gun. Meanwhile Nurse Reynolds had opened up the coffin.

"Hop in," she croaked. "It's all nice and comfy in there."

Decker wondered how on Earth the team had gotten her to help them. She couldn't have fallen for Peck's charm and she sure wasn't the type of woman he'd go for. Not pleased with the whole situation but knowing he had no choice, he got into the coffin still muttering that they wouldn't get away with this.

Once they'd gotten Decker inside, Face ordered B.A. to take Murdock with him and bring the coffin containing Decker to the military base. He would drive the van to their safe house and take Hannibal and Maggie with him.

"Hey, Face. Will you be okay to drive?"

"Sure. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Don't worry, B.A. I'll keep an eye on him," Maggie said.

"You sure you're okay, Facey?"

"Yes, I'm telling you I'm fine. Don't tell me you fell for my act too?"

"It was pretty believable, kid."

"Yeah. Well I had to, you know. I had to convince Decker somehow so he'd have no choice but to leave me here."

"Face my boy, you did a great job with that. Love your plan! I'm proud of you."

A while later B.A. and Nurse Reynolds drove up to the military base in the hearse to drop of the coffin and afterwards they met up with the rest of team at the safe house. Maggie made sure Hannibal was resting comfortably on the couch, since he still had to take it easy for a while. She had ordered him to get some rest while waiting on B.A. and Murdock. He was still asleep when they barged into the living room explaining that their mission was accomplished. Face knew that everyone was exhausted and told the others to relax for a while. B.A. decided to work on his van and Murdock disappeared into the bathroom to get rid of his disguise and afterwards plopped down in front of the TV in the bedroom to watch some cartoons. Face decided to hang around the living room to keep an eye on his Commanding Officer. Maggie kept a close eye on Face since she was still a bit worried about him. She told him she would make them some coffee. Face paced the living room nervously and ended up overlooking the lake daydreaming for a bit. He was still doing just that when Maggie re-entered the living room carrying two mugs of coffee.

"Everything okay, Temp?"

"Uh … What?" He answered absentmindedly.

"Are you okay?" Maggie said repeating her question.

"Me? I'm okay. Glad the plan actually worked."

"Yes, I bet you are. That was a very clever plan you came up with."

"I'm not so sure Decker will agree with you and I sure don't think he liked the details either."

Maggie just had to laugh at that.

"Well maybe not, but I know John loved it and he's happy you managed to get away from Decker and that military prison.

"Makes two of us."

Maggie caught Face staring at Hannibal who was still sleeping peacefully.

"Don't worry. John will be just fine. He just needs to recuperate for a bit. And I'll call him in for regular check-ups from now on."

"Ha. Good luck with that!"

"Oh but I'm planning to schedule regular check-ups for all three of you."

"All three …. But … but what about Murdock?"

"Temp, you and I both know he already has regular check-ups at the VA."

"But why me … uh … I mean us? We're much younger than Hannibal!"

"True but that doesn't imply that you're invincible, you know. You can get seriously injured when you're dealing with thugs. Anyway, you were shocked to hear that this happened to John and I'm sure he never mentioned any sort of problems before to either of you."

"You mean to tell me that this has been bothering him before?"

"I wouldn't be at all surprised if it did. But he probably never paid attention to it."

"I should have noticed …"

"Temp, don't go blaming yourself. None of this is your fault! John may have gotten tired easily, but he would never ever share this information with any of you. Especially not you being his second-in-command. He needs to be the strong leader bursting with energy. He can't show his weaknesses."

"Yeah. He gets dangerous when he's on the jazz. One of these days, things are not gonna end very well."

"In this case he was extremely lucky to have you there with him and react as fast as you did. The situation might have been much worse."

"I just wonder why I didn't notice anything odd about his behavior."

"You're only human, Temp. We don't always see everything. You can't blame yourself for what happened."

"Easier said than done."

He said it hardly above a whisper, but Maggie had heard it nevertheless."

"You weren't pretending in that hospital room, were you? Those were your true feelings. Am I right?"

Face merely nodded leaning against the wall for support his eyes downcast. Maggie realized she shouldn't push Face to say anymore. He was drilled in the army not to let his emotions get in the way of his decisions. This was a rare moment of vulnerability.

"It's nice to see how close the two of you are," she said softly."

"He's the only one who has ever believed in me besides Father Maghill and the Sisters at the orphanage that is. I wasn't exactly in the right set of mind when I signed up for the army. My girlfriend had just dumped me and so I ended up quitting college. I couldn't care less whether or not I would make it back alive. I had no one waiting for me anyway. I guess working with me wasn't easy, but somehow Hannibal saw through all of that. He wanted me on his team. Not just another member. He wanted me to become second-in-command of the team. I remember him pushing me to my limits all the time. Heck, he still does that. He knows I need it. But there's also another side to our tough Colonel. A caring side people often forget. He cared for every single one in our unit. I can safely say that I wouldn't have made it out alive and sane without his help."

"I saw what that war did to people," Maggie said shivering slightly.

"I'll never forget when we got caught by the enemy and send to the camps. At first they tried to break us by separating us. This solitary confinement went on for quite some months, but Hannibal had taught us tap code and so we were able to communicate by using that. We still used it afterwards when we were all thrown into this cell together and when we weren't allowed to speak to one another. We had all been drilled during our Special Forces Training not to reveal too much once we were captured just our name, rank, date of birth and service number, but that wasn't enough according to Camp Authority. Besides being malnourished, we were also tortured constantly. They would either beat you half to death or they would tie your wrist behind your back so tight until your shoulder would dislocate or they would use their favorite toy the meat hook. They'd do just about anything to make you scream out loud and literally break you. You'd do just about anything in the end to make them stop. I was barely 21 and I lied and smooth talked my way out of it on an almost daily basis, but I couldn't have done that without Hannibal's moral support. He took care of me like a father would care for his son whenever I was tortured. I owe him my life."

Maggie walked over to him and gently caressed Face's arm.

"This time you were able to return the favor," she said softly.

"Is he really going to be fine again?"

"Yes. He's gonna have to make a few changes and he'll have to take tablets for his heart from now one, but that's it. Does this news ease your worried mind?"

"Yes, it does. Thanks, Maggie. For everything."

"You're welcome, Temp. Let's sit down now and have our coffee before it gets cold."

They both said down at the small table quietly talking and sipping their coffee. Face suddenly felt drained and tired and had the hardest time stifling a yawn.

"You're getting sleepy, aren't you Temp?"

"No," he said but he could not keep his eyes open.

"I've put a little something to help you sleep in your coffee," she went on. "I figured you could do with some extra rest after the stress you've been under lately. I will ask Murdock and B.A. to take you to bed so you can get your much needed rest."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:** **This is the final chapter to this story. Thanks so much to all of you who've reviewed and read this story. I really appreciate your feedback.**

 **Chapter fifteen**

When Face woke up the next morning he had no clue where he was at first or how he had gotten there. He sat up straight in bed realizing he was still wearing his dress shirt and jeans. He ran a hand through his hair trying to recall what could have happened. Finally it hit him that Maggie must have mixed something in his coffee. He got out of bed and decided to take a quick shower and change into some clean clothes before he would head downstairs and check on Hannibal. The smell of fresh coffee, bacon, eggs and toast hit him as he ran down the stairs.

"Good morning, muchacho," Murdock sang while cooking breakfast. "Hope you're hungry after that long nap of yours."

"Yes. As a matter of fact I am."

"Good 'cause you ain't got no meat on them bones."

"Come on and join us, Temp."

"I will in a minute. I just want to check on Hannibal."

"Sit down, kid. I'm on my way," came Hannibal's reply.

Minutes later Hannibal walked into the room dressed in his pajamas and bathrobe. Face was with him within seconds wanting to help his C.O.

"What's with all the fuzz, kid? I've got this. I need to get back in shape."

Face looked at Maggie and she smiled reassuringly.

"Just sit down, kid. Let's all enjoy a nice breakfast together. Murdock, are you almost done slaving in the kitchen?"

"Yup. All that needs to be done is serve the right amount of food to the right person."

Face noticed straight away that Hannibal's plate wasn't as big as it used to be. Maggie probably started adapting his diet straight away. He was waiting on Hannibal to start complaining about it, but he didn't.

"How are you feeling, Colonel?"

"I feel a whole lot better now that I'm no longer at the hospital. How 'bout you, kid?"

"Well … I've had a good night's sleep thanks to Maggie."

He smiled at her and for the first time since they had been in this mess Maggie noticed how his smile reached his eyes. They all enjoyed Murdock's delicious homemade breakfast and talked for a while. After breakfast Murdock and B.A. drove into town to get some food and Maggie joined them to get some extra medical supplies. Hannibal wanted to sit outside on the porch to enjoy the view of the lake and Face decided to join him.

"Great place you've scammed, kid."

"I do my best."

"Face my boy, I think you and I need to talk."

"Sure! What do you want to talk about?"

"The fact that if it wasn't for you and your quick thinking, that I might not have been here today."

"You don't know that for sure."

"I do know that I owe you my life."

"Why didn't you tell me how you were feeling, Hannibal? What if I wasn't able to get you help?"

"Yeah. I know, kid. I should have said something to you about it, but I knew you would have wanted me to see a doctor."

"This isn't something stupid were dealing with here. It's your heart for God's sake."

"To tell you the truth, kid, I didn't think it would be that serious. And I also had no clue that you would have to give up everything to help me."

"You think it's stupid that I gave up my freedom for you and the team, don't you! Well I would have wanted to come up with a plan that wouldn't get me in a situation like that. But I had no time for that. I realized you needed urgent medical care. Giving up my freedom to save your life was a small price to pay."

"I don't agree with you there, Lieutenant. What you did was make a great sacrifice and I would have hated for you to end up in jail because of me."

"Yeah well …"

"You've got so much potential, kid. I've always known that. I saw it the minute we met. If the army hadn't framed us, you wouldn't have stayed a Lieutenant much longer. They would have noticed all the great qualities you possess and you would have been promoted without a doubt."

"Instead I've become a wanted criminal and a fugitive."

"I know this isn't easy for you. You're still young and you could have had a brilliant career in the military and you also could have settled down and have a family by now."

"Life is full of surprises, I guess."

"I never meant for this to happen to any of you."

"We know, Hannibal, and we're not blaming you. If it weren't for you and your crazy plans, we would have all ended up in jail a long time ago."

"Only this time I'm the one that should thank you for that clever plan of yours, kid. Brilliant thinking and acting! Not only do I owe you my life for acting as fast as you did, but now I also know that should anything happen to me while we're in this mess that you can safely take over command. I'm proud of you, Face my boy. Don't you ever forget that!"

"Well … I hope you'll stick around for a long time to come."

"I'll do the best I can."

"That's good enough for me. After all, you guys are all I've got."

"I know. Don't worry! Maggie told me I'll be fine and she'll watch over me like a hawk I just might start asking more from in the future you being my second in command."

"I'm okay with that."

"But there's one thing I won't be asking from you anymore."

"What's that?"

"A cigar. Maggie made me quit some things and put me on a strict diet."

"I'll see to it that you'll stick to it."

Both men enjoyed the outdoors, their cup of coffee and each other's company some more as they sat on the porch and talked.

"You know, Hannibal, I kind of feel guilty for what I did to Decker. He actually went out of his way and broke military protocol to get me to be with you at the hospital and all I did to reward him was to lock him up in a coffin."

"You do have a point there, kid. So what do you have in mind?"

"I'd like to write him a letter and ask him to meet me somewhere so we can talk."

"Sound like a good idea to me, Face. We'll be there to back you up just in case anything goes south."

Decker walked up to his mailbox at his house to get his morning paper when he noticed an envelope with a neat handwriting on it. This peeked his curiosity and so he started to tear the envelope open as he walked back up to the house. He was utterly surprised to find an invitation from Face to have a cup of coffee together.

The very next day, he drove his wife's car to the coffee shop where he was supposed to meet up with the young Lieutenant. Decker was dressed in civilian clothes as asked in the letter. He parked his car and walked inside the coffee shop scanning the room to catch a glimpse of the always neatly dressed young man. Only he did not see any smart dresses man at all. His trained eye scanned the room once more, until he noticed a guy wearing a simple track suit but with a familiar head of blond hair. Decker quickly made his way over.

"Hi. Glad you could make it," Face said as Decked slid in the booth opposite of him.

"For a minute there I thought you wouldn't show."

"You were expecting me to dress up for the occasion? I'm sorry. I just came back from my morning run hence the track suit."

A waitress came by and both men ordered a cup of coffee.

"So what is it you wanted to see me about?"

"I wanted to apologize to you."

"You want to do what?"

"Apologize. I know you broke a couple of rules for me and I'm really grateful that you did, but I couldn't let you lock me up in prison. I just couldn't. So I needed to come up with a plan to get the team out of there safely and unfortunately I had to lock you up in a coffin to get away with it. I'm really sorry that I had to do that."

Decker was speechless for a minute. Here he was listening to that cocky young brat he had been chasing for years as he was apologizing to him and telling him he was grateful for what he did. Decker had never expressed this out loud to anyone but his wife, but he secretly admired Hannibal and his team. They were excellent Special Forces, very well trained men and always ready to help those in need. He had been truly worried about the young Lieutenant after what had happened. He also knew how close both men were and he was starting to doubt that fact that they would actually just rob a bank for no reason but to be able to enrich themselves.

"So you made me come up here just to apologize to me?"

"Yes."

"I accept your apology. I understand your motives and even though I hated being locked up in that coffin, it was quite comfortable. I'm also not supposed to do this, but I want to compliment you on that genius plan of yours. Smart thinking, Lieutenant. I'm sure Smith will be proud of you."

"Thanks."

"So how is he?"

"He'll live. He got lucky this time, but he'll have to adapt his lifestyle."

"I'm glad he is doing better. You'll need to keep a close eye on him in the future."

"Yeah. I know."

"I have to get going now. Thanks for the invite. I enjoyed the coffee and the chat we had."

"I'm glad you wanted to meet me on this short notice."

"One more thing before I leave. I want you to know that I admire you guys."

"You do?"

"Yes. I also believe you were somehow framed for committing that crime and I hope for your sake's that you'll get that well-earned pardon very soon. But don't you ever tell anyone I told you this except maybe Smith."

THE END


End file.
